Culture

Bateman To Batman: A Decade for Christian Bale's American Psycho

by Manny Castro | April 14, 2010 at 01:05 am

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Christian Bale, thanks to the Batman franchise, is currently one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Yet, that may have never happened if it wasn't for his breakout role in American Psycho, now a decade old.

Prior to the film, Bale was a working actor mostly known for Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, a 1987 release about a boy who becomes a prisoner of war during World War II.

In an attempt to shake his child actor image he accepted the role of Patrick Bateman, a 1980s' yuppie turned serial killer. His performance won him praise and a fan base, both of which helped him land the role of Batman 13 years later.

In the interim, Bale's done Terminator 4, I'm Not There, Dark Knight, 3:10 to Yuma, The Prestige, Rescue Dawn, The Machinist, Laurel Canyon, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and others, not to mention a few scandalous outbursts on set and family scuffles along the way.

Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho

Based on Bret Easton Ellis' controversial 1991 novel, the movie debuted to mixed reviews at the Sundance Film Festival and continued to divide audiences upon its theatrical release. Many praised the film for its social satire while others criticized it for the gruesome violence and terrifying villain.

At the box office, the movie grossed $34.2 million worldwide on a $7 million budget. That's not a hit, but it found its audience on home video and became a cult favorite.

A direct-to-video sequel called American Pyscho II: All American Girl starring Mila Kunis (That `70s Show, Family Guy) was released in 2002, but many would rather forget it ever existed.